Turn Back the Clock
by The Ninja And The Writer
Summary: It's been done a million times, but who would ever send Tifa Lockhart back to stop the end?  "This time Cloud… I'll protect you."  Time-Travel fic- TifaXSeph, CloudXZackXAeris, hints of Cloti, Clack and Vinti, with a side serving of Yuffentine.
1. Chapter 1

Turn Back the Clock

A/N: It's been done a million times, but who would ever send Tifa Lockhart back to stop the end?

"This time Cloud… I'll protect you."

Alright, this is a Tifa X Sephiroth three (ish)-shot, and bits of Cloud X Tifa and Vincent X Tifa are mentioned, as well as Cloud X Aerith and Zack X Aerith. Perhaps Zack X Aeris X Cloud? I dunno. This may be subject to change, depending on feedback.

* * *

><p>Steps, sure and steady, thumped purposefully in their gait up the stairs of a familiar bar in the city known as Edge.<p>

"Denzel, Marlene? I have chores for you to do," a kind voice rang out through the bar of Seventh Heaven. A collective groan could be heard from the children in question.

Tifa Lockhart stepped through the door of the young girl's room. "Come on, Marlene, we got to go check on Aeris' garden. Marlene only nodded, smiling slightly, her ribbon bobbing with the movement.

It had been a year since the whole deal with Deepground, and one month since Cloud had last been here.

She had hoped that now, once everything was said and done, they would be able to get together. Cloud only looked with mournful eyes that always saw someone else, and while they had been together for a while, had eventually left again.

_Aeris, it isn't fair! _Cloud wanted Aeris. Aeris had Zack.

And on top of that, the chestnut haired Cetran was long since dead. So was the black haired SOLDIER.

But who did Tifa want?

She said to everyone that the one she loved was Cloud. Everyone believed her farce-including the man in question- except for one.

Vincent had always known that some part of her ached over the loss of the silver ex-General. Even if the rest of her abhorred even thinking about the man, she always had loved him for his cyan eyes and exotic silver hair that drifted in the wind.

Only to see those eyes glare in hatred and sick satisfaction at the devastation of her village, seeing that silver hair drift among flames that was the Hellfire of Nibelheim.

She always regretted not going into that manor, to literally _force_ the man off village property.

He always regretted not getting out of the coffin before his son had lost his mind.

It gave them something to drink their miseries away over.

As for the heritage of her beloved enemy?

Tifa and Vincent got curious, a little while after the Deepground incident and even before Yuffie and Vincent got together, over whom Sephiroth's father actually was. Tifa had an awfully hard time believing that the mad scientist called Hojo was actually the Demon's parent.

She had seen Lucrecia, and while she noticed the striking similarities in appearance, she also saw Vincent's face underneath that mat of hair. Shelke had pushed it out of the way, and Tifa was shocked to see the ex-General's dark haired twin. Change the red eyes for mako green ones, and you had the silver General.

The blood test was probably a bit superfluous, but hey, who could blame the man for wanting confirmation. In the end, Tifa reflected that it probably made his depression worse.

She never _got _a chance at love. It hurt so much to see her friends slowly settle down and create families. Shera and Cid's baby boy was about to turn one. Reeve was going to settle down with one of his soldier's. Vincent had Yuffie now, and with that, had less time to visit her. Barret still had his job trying to find alternate energy sources.

And Tifa was still pining over the death of the Sephiroth she had loved in the Shinra mansion.

She wasn't any better than Cloud, really.

The ebony haired woman sighed, and set about to her days chores, before she would be able to open her bar to the city.

* * *

><p>Kind green eyes watched an old friend from their place in the lifestream. The one thing she had always regretted was not pointing out to Cloud that Tifa loved him. Once Aeris had died, Cloud had set on her and her alone.<p>

She often wondered if Tifa had been in her predicament, death at the hands of a madman, would Cloud pine for the woman with eyes the color of dark chocolate mixed with red wine. Now even the kind woman's feelings for her charge had faded, there was nothing Aeris could do except for what Mother Gaia and Minerva were planning to do.

She could not make any of the people in the Lifestream do this; they would be haunted with their own deaths.

Aeris was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and so she was out.

Gaia and Minerva had both wished that Cloud, their Golden WEAPON should be the one. They could only do this once.

Aeris, had quite frankly, disagreed. Cloud would get a chance to be happy again, without that permanent cloud (No pun intended) of gloom over his head.

Vincent? Who would believe him, as his time of usefulness had been thirty years before the issues with the Calamity had even begun.

And then there was Crimson WEAPON, the man slowly bringing Weiss the Immaculate back to health, still with _so_ much regret over what had happened to Angeal, Sephiroth, and finally, Zack. It would be too cruel to send him back to deal with his degradation again.

Some sadistic Cetra wished that they send Sephiroth, half mad- the poor man- with a leash back. Sephiroth could no longer escape the Lifestream, and even Jenova had abandoned him to a fate worse than his deaths. He was a shade of _both_ his former selves.

Aeris could never be that cruel to such a misguided man. He was beginning to loose himself, and being ripped apart was so horrible a fate. Zack and his mentor, Angeal, had begged her to do otherwise.

This left only one person even half-capable of changing anything. Her name?

Tifa Lockhart.

Aeris felt guilty for even thinking of sending her friend back, but she needed this chance, a chance to learn that once, Sephiroth himself had shared her feelings. Zack and Aeris had been 'visiting' the man, unmoving from his green prison, to find him watching Tifa with Vincent.

Drunkenly, they had been kissing, and Sephiroth _growled _at the sight, his hands curling into fists. _"Mine."_

Zack and Aeris had been rather surprised at both the pair, but more so at Sephiroth's violent reaction. In the Lifestream, strength was determined by will, and how well one could keep oneself together, not allowing memories to slip away. Though Sephiroth had once had a great will, he had been broken.

Zack had conked him out using the energy in the Lifestream as magic. Aeris had carried him out of the cage Gaia had made for him for a little talk about why he could not leave.

No other choices were there, and Aeris now had an old friend to call to their side of the stream.

* * *

><p>When Tifa had gone to bed the night before, she had only planned on getting two hours of sleep, and getting back up to the routine at four, but never could she have imagined this.<p>

She was surrounded by a calming white sky, and the lilies that could always be found in the old majestic church.

"_Tifa, I've wanted to speak with you again for a long time." _That voice. It couldn't be!

"Y-you can't be…"

The feminine voice chuckled lightly. _"Tifa, you never were good at denial._

"Aeris…?" She turned around to see the very same girl whose name she had spoken. Chocolaty eyes teared up, and she ran to hug her long dead friend. "It _is _you!"

Aeris returned the woman's strong embrace, although hers was not quite as enthusiastic, before looking to the woman with kind, yet a bit sad, eyes.

"_Tifa, we have to talk." _Tifa was even more confused with her friend's sudden visit.

* * *

><p>Aeris stood by her friend, trying to gauge her reaction to this opportunity. Tifa looked rather confused, but Aeris hoped that her best friend would take this chance. No, she <em>needed<em> her to take it.

"So… What you're saying… the planet's still dying, even after all we've done?" Aeris nodded sadly. It was true. Sephiroth was the last straw.

"_But, we could change it all."_ Aeris' voice tried to sound hopeful, and Tifa's eyes looked up to her, confused, but curious.

"What do you mean?" The ebony haired woman sounded shaky. Aeris yearned for another way to solve this, but they were backed against a wall.

"_Gaia _needs_ the past itself to be changed. Sephiroth truly was the last straw for Gaia's life. Omega is no longer able, and the squire is unwilling to try again. We needed someone who was in the right place at the right time to fix the mistakes we've made." _

"But why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you get Cloud or Zack to do this?" Her words came out bitter, something that Aeris easily understood.

"_No, Tifa, we can't do that to them again." _She took hold of her friend's hand, silently pleading for her agreement. _"You are the only one suitable. _You_ deserve this chance at the life you have lost. The planet's dying, Tifa. And we need your help." _Aeris felt slightly guilty over using her friend's kind nature against her, but it was necessary. She felt Tifa shift her weight around, a sign that she was thinking it over. Wine colored eyes couldn't bring themselves to look at the Cetran.

"I'll…. I'll do it." Tifa's face rose, eyes determined to make a difference, and Aeris knew that everything was going to turn out fine. The pink-clad woman smiled, and suddenly one more figure entered the field. It was a familiar sight, but who could ever truly become used to the presence of a goddess?

Aeris heard Tifa gasp beside her, and she chuckled a bit. Minerva was a rather amazing sight, after all.

_:Tifa Lockhart, you have been chosen by the planet to change the fate of the people of Gaia. Are you willing to accept that things will not turn out exactly as they are now?:_

Tifa's eyes flashed, fierce with determination, unwilling to have to live through Meteorfall, the Remnants, Deepground, Nibelheim, and everything else that had piled up over the ten years since her world turned upside down. She nodded.

Minerva smiled her approval. Aeris knew that she would approve of her new champion.

* * *

><p>Tifa quickly decided that meeting a goddess was a surreal experience. As the goddess of the Lifestream smiled at her, the woman was filled with inexplicable warmth.<p>

_:There are things you must learn in order to prevent Nibelheim. Sephiroth was not the only angel to fall from grace, rather he was the last of the trio, kicked from his pedestal by one he had once considered a friend. What was left of his trust was taken by Jenova, and he wanted revenge so very badly. He listened to her every command, desperate to have someone care about him, yearning for the love he never had. In the end, he was abandoned, and while he does not regret his quest, he regrets the actions he took to go about it.: _

She couldn't say she was shocked that Minerva knew of Sephiroth's thoughts. What did surprise her, was the explanation. Sephiroth was pushed into his madness? But who…?

_:Go to Modeoheim, and find the man with the white wing, he is known as Angeal. He plays a key part. You must tell him there is a cure for the degradation, and there is still hope. He committed suicide by forcing his young student, Zack Fair, to kill him. His death marked the end for Sephiroth.:_

_:The Nibelheim mission comes next. Demand access to the reactor, and keep an eye on Sephiroth.: _

_:I cannot tell you more, but I can give you gifts.: _Minerva handed her a green crystal ball, a Materia, and when Tifa held it, she could feel that it was a sleep. A powerful one, at that. She looked up to the Goddess with a questioning look on her face. The woman chuckled, and it sounded like the tinkling of bells. _:That is for SOLDIER's who aren't going to listen.: _

Tifa nodded her head understandingly, her eyes thoughtful. Cloud, though technically not a SOLDIER, had been _damn_ hard to knock out with sleep spells. Minerva smiled, and waved her arm, tendrils of lifestream circling around Tifa. Suddenly, she was filled with peace and knowledge, and a sudden strength.

_:You fight hand to hand, I think you should be able to fight a SOLDIER gone mad with your strength. And,: _Minerva formed a pair of gloves for her. They were a wine color, similar to her eyes. She looked up to the Goddess with a grateful look on her face.

_:They are called, Rokkuhāto, the representation of Gaia's blessing for you.: _She took the gloves into her hand, and they disappeared. Minerva smiled, and then she formed two, beautiful glass bottles. One was a shining red color, and the other, a sparkling black. The bottles filled with the energy of the Lifestream, and then two corks were placed in order to keep the spiritual energy encased.

_:For the two whose bodies are destroying themselves. You will know when to use them: _Tifa nodded, eyes sparkling with the determination she was known for. :_Go forth, Ebony WEAPON, and bring change to your beloved Planet.:_

Minerva disappeared into the Lifestream, leaving Aeris and Tifa alone once more. Tifa grabbed her friend into a fierce hug, and Aeris looked at the woman with sad eyes. "I am going to see you again, but you're not going to remember me. I want you to know that you are the best person for Cloud. He crushed on me, but you are the one for him. I'll miss you." Tifa's voice broke slightly and tears welled up in her eyes. "Goodbye." Aeris smiled and waved at her friend for the last time, and suddenly Tifa was falling, down for what seemed like forever, before landing back down onto a bed.

Tifa's wine colored eyes opened only to see the roof and walls of her childhood.

_Oh Gaia, this is real._

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><p>Back in the Lifestream, Aeris and Zack kissed one last time before the end.<p>

Their last thoughts were a prayer that Tifa would be able to save them all, and the world turned to white.

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><p>AN: Reviews give my current plot bunnies carrots. Feed them, and receive updates. :D


	2. Chapter 2

Turn Back the Clock- Chapter 2

A/N: Well, I didn't expect a bunch of attention, but you guys seem to like this. A lot. :D

Thanks to:  
><strong>Carrie88<strong>: Damn, first reviewer is a very good writer for TifaXSeph. After finishing this update, go check her fics out. Thanks!  
><strong>ShinobiTwin05<strong>: Thanks for the enthusiasm, thanks for the review!**  
>ChezPez<strong>: No worries, this is getting continued NOW. And, I think I'd be ashamed if my grammar was bad! Thanks!**  
>Hidden By Shadow<strong>: Hunh. Thanks!

And to all who have alerted my story, thank you! Those who have alerted, but not commented, you guys can speak to, I love feedback.

Quick note to past readers (From before 7/15), I had an 'oh shit' moment the night I posted the first chapter, and I realized I left out something. I would go back and read chapter 1, because the gift I forgot about is an important plot point.

Also, I like the before crisis characters. It's sad no one uses them more often. It's canon shit that happens, like Essai's and Sebastian's deaths are mentioned in Crisis Core…

ON WITH THE STORY

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><p>Tifa was many things as a teenager.<p>

Fashionable was decidedly _not_ one of them.

"I _really _wore this when I was fourteen?" It was far too early in the morning to be doing this, but Tifa was actually wearing her cowgirl outfit with a mild look of disgust on her face. "I. Look. Like. A bimbo." She didn't even try wearing the hat; it would only serve to make her throw up.

She tore off the offending outfit, putting the soft blue nightgown back on, and dug around in her closet a little bit. Picking up a deep red glove, she stared at it curiously before dropping it as if it had bit her. "Rokkuhāto… The goddess' gloves…." She got curious, and looked at the weapons. They were indeed red leather, but the ornaments adorning them were fascinating. Black and white crystals formed intricate patterns along them, the black ones becoming studs to emphasize power. They had two linked materia slots; inside one was the super-sleep materia.

She put the gloves down on her Nibel pine bedside table, and continued digging through her things. The two sparkling glass bottles of the lifestream, pure and only partially liquid, the smallest fraction of it actually floating in the odd way the Lifestream did at its edges. Tifa held the red bottle up to the light, as the sun was edging its way up the proud Nibel mountain range. The sight was breath-taking.

She shook her head a few moments later, it was sunrise, and that meant her…. _Father…._ Would be waking her up. It was like a vice on her heart, thinking, _knowing_ that the man was alive and well, since last time she had seen him alive, it had been with Masamune in his chest, holding his hand as his heart slowly gave out on him.

Her eyes began to tear up on their own, and she wiped them away quickly, before the grief could wind its way into her chest. Her dad was _alive here._ _Alive._

She moved back to her closet, still in her light blue nightgown, and wanting something simpler, even if it was something like she had worn back during Meteorfall. She would have preferred her black outfit, but it would probably be a bit too big to fit her now.

She giggled at the thought of her younger self in her elder selves' attire. The chest pieces would be hanging off, practically.

She gasped when she found a soft, white cotton shirt, along with a familiar leather skirt, and the straps that connected the two. When Minerva sends you back in time, she really makes sure she covered all of her bases.

Gleefully, she took off the nightgown of her youth, (She was going to wear t-shirts and yoga pants from now on, she swore) and changed into the familiar, 'let's do this shit!' shirt, as Yuffie had dubbed it. Yuffie had been rather tempted to steal all of their original outfits, the same ones that they had worn during Meteorfall, and sell them on the black market as "hero's clothes", but two things kept her from that goal.

The only thing Vincent had changed was the gauntlet- to this very day, she didn't know what was underneath it (probably didn't want to know, but still) - and Tifa refused to give up her clothes. She had bled, sweat, and cried in them, and had told Yuffie if they ever had to do it again, she _wanted those goddamn clothes to do it in!_

Yuffie had grinned, somehow getting it all on camera, and showing it to the others. Personally, Reeve's shocked face was the best. Yuffie had collapsed in giggles as Cait Sith had the same expression on its robotic face.

Cid was a close second, Tifa recalled with a grin. Cid had simply put his calloused hand on her shoulder, and said, "My work here, ladies, is _done._" Tifa had hit him for it, but Yuffie was rolling on the floor, in a fit of hysterical laughter.

Once Tifa had dressed, she stood up and gave herself an once-over in her mirror. _Much better, I don't look like a cowgirl wannabe. _

Tifa froze in her footsteps as she heard a familiar voice call from downstairs. "Tifa, breakfast is ready!"

She felt tears in her eyes again, but swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "I'll be down in a minute, Papa!" She walked over to her dresser, and then shook her head, whispering to herself.

"Cloud wasn't here. Zack was- the perv." She snorted at the memory of the overly-enthusiastic SOLDIER. Either way, Tifa reached into her dresser, and pulled her orthopedic underwear out to hide it underneath her bed.

She paused as she remembered the detail he had on her room, thinking, before speaking to herself again. "But… Zack was dying, and he gave memories of more important things to Cloud. So how did Cloud…?" She paled briefly at the thought, before shaking it away.

She had breakfast to eat with her Papa.

* * *

><p>"Tifa, don't you have lessons with Master Zangan later?" Her dad's voice broke the peaceful silence after a hearty meal, courtesy of her Papa. She made a noise of determined agreement, and picked up both her father's, and her own plates.<p>

She had missed this so much. Being taken care of, rather than taking care of Marlene, of Denzel, and whenever he was around, taking care of Cloud. She was forced into a role she wasn't ready for, at the tender age of sixteen, she was left to wander the streets alone, making quite a few choices she vowed to never make again.

If she had her way, she would never _have_ to make those choices again.

But, she had to be the one to take care of things for a little longer, thinking of Gaia's orders. Angeal Hewley. Huh, seemed she had a knack for saving depressed and suicidal people. Her thoughts went dark with the idea of Cloud being suicidal, but she had to shake off the worry for a man who, technically, didn't exist.

She smiled at her father, and left the room, and then packed her bag. Inside were her new gloves, the sleep materia was still inside a slot, a tent, a t-shirt and pants to sleep in, and an extra pair of clothes.

She didn't really want to risk breaking the glass bottles, but Tifa thought that having one with her might come in handy. The Goddess had told her that she would know when, and she thought this might be the right time.

Tifa grabbed the black one, as it seemed sturdier, less prone to breaking for some reason, and just left one hidden in her closet. Tifa opened up a pillowcase with two cushions inside, and placed the bottle gingerly between the two cushions. She then placed it inside her bag, hoping it wouldn't break.

Her father didn't know that his little girl was going on an adventure to save a suicidal ex-commander.

Or was it the planet? Her head began to hurt at the complexities of the webs spun between them all.

Tifa used her sheets to form a rope, and using it she slowly lowered the bag to the ground outside, hoping to Minerva that her dad didn't see that. Once she was sure it had reached the ground, she let the sheet-rope go.

She walked back downstairs, where her father was cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. She embraced him in a strong hug, and gripped onto his shirt. Papa managed to turn around and hug her back, and she just stood like that for a long while.

Richard Lockhart didn't complain at his only daughter's sudden actions, he returned the sudden hug and stroked his baby girl's hair.

"I love you Papa." Tifa's voice was soft, and actually kind of difficult for him to hear, but he caught it. He smiled, hugging her hard, but then broke the embrace. "Sweetie, you have to go to Zangan's now." His beautiful girl nodded, and took her gloves out of her pocket. As she put them on, she stretched, and he ushered her out the door.

"I'll see you later, Teef." He smiled and waved before closing the door. Tifa smiled sadly back, knowing that she wouldn't see her father for quite a while.

* * *

><p>The lesson ended after only three spars, and Tifa had once again been a triumphant winner, practically on top of Zangan, the elder man panting, trapped, defeated. She climbed off him, and offered him a hand to get up. He smiled tiredly, and accepted it.<p>

Once the man was back on his feet, he brushed himself off, and smiled as Tifa got herself back into a readied position. "Tifa, that's enough. No more sparring, I'm done." Tifa was confused, but he shook his head at her, probably knowing that she thought he was done because she was a horrible student.

"You are a wonderful student, but I am afraid I have no more to teach you." Tifa was surprised; she had known the Goddess had made her stronger and that she had remembered how to fight as she had when she was older.

But she never had expected that she had no more to learn from Zangan. She smiled though, and he brought her back inside his house. "You have beaten your master on fair grounds, and I suppose that you have earned the right to also be called Master." She smiled at the man, and he groaned as she tried to pat him on the back. "Ouch, you _really_ learned how to make it hurt." The man shook his head and Tifa giggled.

"Well, you'd best be off Tifa, your Dad will begin to look for you soon, I am going to shower." Tifa nodded, and walked off toward the door, feigning leaving, but no sooner did she hear the shower turn on did she go looking around for two things. Zangan held the keys to the only car in Nibelheim, and well, she kinda needed his wallet.

As she took both, she muttered to herself. "That's for leaving me alone in Midgar, Master."

* * *

><p>She had taken the car, and had driven far out from her hometown, had gone north and straight through the mountains. Not bothering to stop in Rocket Town, though she longed to see the Captain, she had work to do, and very little time to do it.<p>

The Goddess had told her that Angeal was in enough anguish he was driven to have Zack kill him. Tifa now knew this, and the only logical thing to do would be to stop him, by beating Zack there.

The truck had broken down shortly before her arrival in a small boating town, and while she was annoyed she had to walk, it was good, because she could get some money from the monsters here, nasty buggers they were, and test just how powerful the goddess had made her.

As she was finding out, punching the skull in on a monster was easy business now.

She was on par with SOLDIER.

With Cloud.

Damn.

No wonder Zangan had been out of breath after he'd sparred with her three times, her strength and stamina had dramatically increased. Was this what the Goddess had meant when she said that she wanted Tifa to be her Ebony WEAPON?

Well, Tifa hoped she would never be like those giant monsters they had to fight. They were serious pains in the asses to fight.

She wiped sweat and monster blood off of her figure, and pulled out a mirror to make sure there wasn't anything in her hair. She gasped when she saw her eyes. Mako. She had gleaming, glowing chocolate red eyes. She had MAKO in her system, courtesy of the Lifestream.

How the _hell_ was she going to hide that!

She would have to figure that one out later, because she was running out of time. She picked a piece of flesh out of her hair with faint disgust, before cleaning up her things and setting back off to the town with a fair bit more cash than she had when she started.

* * *

><p>By the time she arrived at the tip of her home continent, the boat was preparing to set off, and Tifa had to make a mad dash to the counter to buy a ticket, before making another quick dash to the boat.<p>

She arrived only seconds too late, the boat was leaving the dock, but she couldn't give up!

She had to save Nibelheim, and to do that, Angeal Hewley had to _live._ She grabbed her bag tightly, before backing up about ten feet and placing the delicate bag on her back. She took off, trying to jump onto the boat.

She missed by a mere _inch._

_OhgaiaI'mgoingtofall-I'…_

A single, strong, hand suddenly shot down, catching her own hand, and stopped her fall. "H-hey! Martial Arts, I need help!" A distinctly female voice came from above, another cursing before Tifa was able to see a woman with dark blonde hair and brown eyes.

"The _hell_ are you doing, trying to jump onto a moving boat, for Odin's sake?"

"Cheya!"

"Well what am I supposed to say, Acacia? That was a _dumbass_ move!" The blonde was annoyed, the other struggling to keep Tifa in her grasp.

"Dang, you are _heavy!_ Cheya, just help me get her up before I drop her!" The light voice was beginning to sound strained.

Tifa didn't really want her fate in the hands of these two squabbling girls.

"_Can you two argue later! I'm about to fall to my _death!"

"FINE. You, girl, grab my hand." The one who was called Cheya reached over the side and Tifa grabbed her hand like she was hanging for dear life….

Well, she was.

Eventually, three women were on the ground, panting at the effort to bring Tifa on board.

"So… We just… Saved you…." The blonde with the ponytail piped up between breathing. She sat up and began speaking animatedly. "My name's Acacia, but you can call me Ace!" She grinned broadly, before speaking up again. "This is Cheya, and what's your name!"

"Uh…. Tifa?"

"Nice to meet you!" Acacia was somehow… Like Yuffie.

Did these people teach each other or something?

Cheya massaged her temples, sighing heavily, before glaring at the cheerful young woman. It was then that Tifa noticed the outfit on the two.

"You two are_ Turks!_" Cheya threw her a look that said, '_No, Really?'_, but Acacia nodded cheerfully.

"Yep! I'm Shotgun, and this is Martial Arts! But she is the female version." Cheya face-palmed, but Acacia tilted her head and smiled at the teen, letting out a single chuckle.

* * *

><p>"So… You are going to Modeoheim to save your lover's best friend from committing suicide?" Acacia's eyes began to tear up, before embracing the teenaged Tifa in an overly-eccentric hug. "<em>That's SOOOOOOO romantic!" <em>

Meanwhile, Cheya turned her gaze away, touched by Angeal's path- as much as Tifa knew, anyway.

"Well, I wouldn't call us lovers, but I certainly hope one day we can be together like that." Tifa's voice was shaky, but rather wistful. Acacia, Zack, Yuffie, these people were the most hyperactive people Tifa had _ever _met, and ever hoped to meet.

"Well, tell us his name, I certainly hope I can meet him one day, if he is anything like you say."

"Uh… He's called Seth…" Tifa blushed, and continued. "Seth Crescent. He's a SOLDIER, I never asked him the class, but he is reserved, but kind and respectful to those who've earned his trust. His good friend, however, came out of the Wutai war thinking he was a monster, and has left him with a note saying he was going to die in Modeoheim. Since he is still in the line of duty, I need to go stop him."

Acacia squealed loudly, before hugging Tifa again.

She was a _Turk_? Oh, Tseng was getting _words_ about this chick.

That's if… Tseng was still the leader of the Turks…

Dang, this time travel stuff was hard! Tying enough truth into her alias had been hard enough, but reporting to someone who wasn't the head of it all anymore? (Or would it be yet…?)

Tifa sighed, she was stuck with a hyperactive chick, and a serious Turk for two days until she could get off and run for her dear life.

* * *

><p>Cheya= Martial Arts (Female)<br>Acacia= Shotgun (Female)

If they are out of character, suck it up, I haven't played Before Crisis, and this is what I think of them. I like them.


	3. Chapter 3

Turn Back the Clock- Chapter 3

A/N: Did I say three-shot? I'm sorry, that was a lie. This will be at least 5 chapters, probably more.

(LIES it will probably be seven at this rate!) Anyways, you guys have a special visitor today, so get ready for that!

Anyways, quick thanks to those who reviewed, and alerted! XD  
><strong>Carrie88<strong>: Oh, Thanks!  
><strong>ShinobiTwin05<strong>: Aw… You're so enthusiastic! No worries, I have officially decided to keep the pairings.  
><strong>City of Dis<strong>: Sorry, I won't be changing the pairing, but I will take some of your advice.  
><strong>Nessa671<strong>: Thanks!

ON WITH THE STORY! XD

* * *

><p>Thankfully, Tifa didn't really have to run from the two female Turks. They, well technically it was Acacia, told her where they were going when the WEAPON asked. Mainly because Cheya was an ass and simply said 'somewhere'; Acacia slapped her lightly, smiling at the woman trapped in a younger body, before answering.<p>

"We have business to conduct in Bone Village. I hope we'll be done by the time you are finished in Modeoheim, I'd love to meet this man, just so I could put some sense into him!" She pulled out her weapon of choice, a shotgun, and kissed it. "My baby and I took on this mission to get control over opium sales in Bone Village; sadly, Martial Arts here had to come. If she hadn't then I'd be back at base already!" Cheya stopped looking cool, instead she looked rightfully pissed at her bubbly co-worker.

"H-hey! We are trying to be inconspicuous, we don't need a helicopter!" Shotgun winked at Tifa, before grabbing the collar of Cheya's suit. Acacia let out a short, "See you later!" All too cheerfully as she dragged her fellow Turk through the snow. Cheya had left herself to that fate, crossing her arms with an unpleasant expression on her delicate face.

Tifa giggled, they seemed a lot like Tseng and Elena, for whatever the reason.

But, she had business to attend to. The march to where Modeoheim was continued.

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><p>By the time Tifa was closer to the recently abandoned city, she had spotted a Shinra helicopter crashing into the mountain nearby.<p>

She was running out of time.

Tifa passed by the abandoned factory, and didn't bother to look around. Angeal was inside the town, not the factory.

Besides, the factory was heavily guarded, and Tifa wasn't sneaky enough to get inside.

She slipped past them, and headed for the town.

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><p>Tifa had known the townspeople had been killed, but it was different from what happened to Nibelheim.<p>

In Nibelheim, people had been replaced by Shinra workers, but here….

There was nothing except for the padding of her footsteps. It was rather eerie.

Then Tifa noticed the footsteps of someone walking behind her, even softer than her own.

She carefully reached her hand down into her bag, grabbing the Rokkuhāto, placing them on her hands as she stopped, before speaking.

"Who are you?" Her voice was steady, albeit tentative, and she waited for the figure to answer. She heard a sword shift as it was brought around in an offensive manner, before a gruff voice spoke.

"I could ask you the same thing." Tifa turned around to see a man with good muscle tone, was fairly tall, and had a white wing jutting out of the right side of him. Unconsciously, she was reminded of the fact Sephiroth's black one was on the very same side. His eyes held a haunted quality as her own danced over the extra appendage. The Buster Sword was in his left hand.

"I am Tifa. Tifa Lockhart." She held out her gloved hand for him to shake. He looked uncomfortable, but his right hand reached out to shake hers.

"Angeal Hewley." Tifa smiled at him. So this man was her target, she had suspected it, but had not been sure.

"Then _you_ are why I am here." He looked faintly surprised, but shook his head in denial.

"No- Miss-I…" He cut off whatever sentence that he was making, before looking at her with cold, although regretful eyes. "I have to kill you. Please- forgive me."

Tifa sighed. So _he_ was the thing that happened to this town. "What will Zack do if he finds _your_ sword in _me? _He'd hate you forever." Angeal's eyes once again took on a more haunted quality, and the sword lowered, the tip just above the ground."

"It would be just, I am a monster…" Tifa walked over to the man, sword be damned, and put a hand on his cheek in a caressing manner. He looked at her, surprised at her comforting, but did nothing to stop her.

"The thing about monsters, Angeal Hewley, is that they need to prove themselves otherwise." He looked surprised, but then his face hardened once again.

"You said Zack was coming. That means that you are from Shinra.

"That means you are an enemy." Tifa sighed. Why was it that the most gifted people, the best people Tifa had ever known thought themselves to be monsters? Sephiroth, Vincent, Cloud- they all thought themselves to be the scum of the earth, but in fact, they had better personalities than most regular every-day people.

The dark haired woman let Angeal take a swing at her with the Buster, catching it with her hands. At this, the sword's owner looked surprised, and looked into her red wine/chocolaty colored eyes, to see them faintly glowing from within. "Y-you-!"

Tifa took the sword straight out of his hands, noticing that it seemed to weigh hardly anything anymore as he balked at the loss of the weight, and threw it away from their fight. She began to engage him in hand-to-hand, her forte.

He threw a punch, trying to throw her off enough so he could grab his sword, but she anticipated it, and caught it easily, before using her other hand to hit the back of his neck. His knees crumpled, and she activated a sleep spell. His eyes still stared at her hard, before they closed tiredly.

Snow began to fall and stick onto his bulky body, and the sixteen-year-old groaned.

She was going to have to carry both him _and_ the sword into a house, wasn't she?

* * *

><p>It took a fair bit of skill, but Ebony WEAPON finally managed to get the <em>behemoth <em>of a man along with his out-of-proportion sword into an abandoned house. Not a moment too soon, either. She was in just in time to spot a young-looking Tseng and a blonde infantry man that looked familiar.

Too much so, actually.

The blonde's name came out as a surprised whisper. "Cloud….?"

She shook her head and from the corner of her eye, she noticed Angeal shifted, before settling back down again. Her charge had begun to rise from his unwilling snooze, and Tifa had things to do.

Such as tying him up. He was still a SOLDIER, and you could never be too careful about them.

By the time Angeal would wake up, Tseng and Cloud had already passed through, Zack close behind- though Tifa noted it was with a haunted expression- and eventually Tseng decided that Angeal was already gone. A Shinra helicopter flew the three away, and Tifa released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

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><p>A voice, once beautiful screamed at him with rage, anguish, betrayal. All he could think about was how attractive her face was stained by tears, her eyes, a combination of red wine and chocolate, glaring at him with hatred.<p>

"Sephiroth! How dare you do this to father! How dare you do this to everyone in the village!" She ran at him with Masamune, the blade still covered in the blood of her father, ebony hair whipping wildly behind her. He turned and caught the blade, stopping her from striking him. She made a sound akin to a sob, before he cut her down.

The red of her blood against the floor matched her sinful eyes. Oh yes, this woman was going to make a fine queen for him one day, as she ruled by his side. She only had to wait while he got mother out.

Angeal's puppy came for him next, oh the look of horror and betrayal was _delicious_ in his eyes. He was supposed to save Angeal, not kill him. Mother's encouraging whispers drove him to the very edge of his temper, and he through Zack down the stairs, noticing the way the girl was losing her blood.

He would need to be quick; otherwise she would bleed out before he could take her.

He turned back into the chamber, eager to meet his mother face-to-face, not sparing a second thought for what might become of the boy known as Zackary Fair.

He was so close, only to be stabbed in the back, quite literally, by the motion-sick trooper Zackary had befriended. "Return my mother…. Tifa….. And my village!" The rest of his words were drowned out by pain.

"Y-you bastard…" The sword, Angeal's precious blade was drawn out from him, drawing a pained gasp bitten down only by his handle on expressions. He bent over, his knees collapsing underneath him, as he leant against his Mother's prison. The boy let out a gasp, as if remembering something important.

"Tifa!" She wasn't supposed to be a second thought, idiotic human! She was perfect, and this boy was putting her to shame. He ran out of Mother's chamber, and left Sephiroth to get his bearings. Using Masamune to get up, he was shocked to see that black dots had begun dancing in front of his eyes, and that he could no longer walk straight, stumbling every few steps.

He couldn't let it end like this! The girl was his, and she needed to be saved! He cut off his mother's head, as he was directed, and went back into the room, bleeding out profusely at the stomach wound.

As he walked into the room, he noticed that the blonde infantry man was caressing the woman. She was _his!_

"How dare you…!" He stared at the boy with all the hatred he had, and Zackary piped up to 'finish' him off. As if a little human boy could finish off a god?

The blonde nodded, and picked up the sword once more. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sephiroth wondered how such a small boy could even pick it up, let alone use the massive blade. He screamed the Silver Demon's name, before running up the reactor stair, and jumping to try and get a vantage point. He easily was able to meet the larger blade with Masamune, and thrust the boy back inside the mako chamber. The blonde infantry man was sent sprawling, weakling that he was, and Sephiroth scoffed. How had such a pathetic boy stabbed him?

It was time for him to return the favor.

Masamune went straight through the boy's chest, and Sephiroth skewered the boy, hanging him over the edge of the platform. "Don't…. Test me!" The boy looked up at him with hardened blue eyes, and with a grunt, brought himself higher on the sword's reach, and lifted the weakening Sephiroth into the air, before thrusting him against the wall. In flames, Sephiroth was lost to the mako reactor, his last thoughts of eyes the color of red wine, so similar to the look of her blood staining the floor.

That was when Sephiroth woke up, his body in a cold sweat, noticing that he had fallen asleep in his office, waiting to hear from Tseng and Zackary.

It was the same nightmare he had been having ever since he had received orders that Genesis and Angeal were to be killed. The girl, who Sephiroth was indeed beautiful, was someone he had never met. Zackary had a more haunted look to him, with the scar on his face, and his hair in a way more akin to his currently AWOL mentor.

And the sword, he carried Angeal's blade.

These dreams, premonitions, whatever they were- were slowly driving him to madness.

He needed to know who she was, and why his dreams ended with his death, what this whole thing was about. He had been uneasy ever since Genesis' defection, so what did it all mean?

He was startled as his PHS rang, annoyed with Zackary for once again messing with his ringtone, but too tired to really care. "Sephiroth," he answered gruffly.

"Uh, hey Seph. Listen, I don't have much time, but I thought you might want to know what happened."

No, he didn't really want to know the morbid details of his two friend's deaths. He complied anyways. "What happened, Zack?"

"Genesis jumped off the edge of a platform, it's safe to assume he's dead, but he might not be." If nothing else, he was glad Zack was trying to look on the bright side.

"And Angeal?" He was so worried that he was dead, and that's why Zack had his sword.

"Actually, he just… disappeared. None of us have seen him, so we're on our way back to base. See you soon!" The PHS crackled as Zackary disconnected, and Sephiroth shut it closed.

"What does it all mean?" He spoke aloud, before getting back to his paperwork.

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><p>AN: Reviews make this happen. Please feed my muse.


	4. Chapter 4

Turn Back the Clock

A/N: I feel kinda disappointed for the feedback to last chapter. *Shrugs* I have one loyal reviewer, so this chapter is dedicated to the lovely fan of darker Tifa/Seph, **Carrie88. **Enjoy.

To Anonie: **ChezPez**, thanks.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and alerted themselves to my story…. This chapter is horribly short compared to others, but after this there is a time-skip, to Nibelheim!

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><p>Tifa was humming a mindless tune as she cleaned up the dusty house a bit. She didn't want to travel at night, so whenever Angeal came around, they would have to stay here. She didn't mind, no, not at all. After all, she had been the one to take care of the people at Seventh Heaven ever since she woke up in Midgar. It was then Angeal's eyes finally cracked open.<p>

Tifa made a sound of questioning, before placing her rag down and going over to the man with a glass of water. He grabbed it with a shaky hand, gulping the entire thing in moments before looking up to the ebony haired woman. Angeal watched her with incredulous eyes, not truly believing that she had the power and skill of a SOLDIER. She smiled at the one-winged man, before turning back around to clean up some more. She wasn't going to force him to ask her anything yet.

Five minutes later, his gruff voice broke the silence. "You are a SOLDIER?" She shook her head in a definite 'no', but he clearly didn't believe her.

"Then how did you defeat me so easily?"

"You really wouldn't believe me if I told you." He raised an eyebrow at her avoidance.

"Why did you stop me from killing myself?" Tifa sighed, avoiding the question. How could she say that he died once, and it all ended with the death of the Planet at his friend's hands? He would never believe her, but it was the truth.

"Once again, you really wouldn't believe me if I told you. The main thing is; you can't die." He sighed, realizing he wasn't in any position to argue with his captor.

"So you're going to make me rot away? I am a monster, but worse yet, my very body is failing me. I am going to die a slow death as my body eats itself away!" Even though the words were angry, Tifa was forcibly reminded of Cloud and his struggles with Geostigma. "Besides, there's no cure…" His tone had calmed down, to just sheer defeat. It echoed that conversation she had with Cloud, right after she had learned of his illness, and why he hadn't been home with her, Marlene, and Denzel.

"_You have Geostigma…. Don't you?" She was filled with anguish that Cloud had not told her, or anyone. "You're gonna give up and die, is that it?" She sat up, and looked away from the swordsman, who did not answer her. _

"_So it is." She wanted to help him, so badly! _

"_There's no cure." Cloud's voice was blunt, just stating the obvious. _

"_Yeah, but that's not stopping Denzel is it?" She looked back at her friend, eager to save him, her legs going beneath her. "Don't run. Let's fight it together. We can help each other, I know we can." She looked at him with hope, but he didn't answer her, only looked down guiltily. Aeris still occupied his thoughts, his dreams, leaving no room for Tifa. She sighed. "I guess that only works for real families."_

"_Tifa, I'm not fit to help anyone. Not my family, not my friends- nobody." His voice sounded so broken, but there was little she could do until he opened up, and in order to do that, he needed to go work out his thoughts. In order for him to do that, he needed to get the kids back. _

_She sighed once more, this time aloud. "Dilly-dally, shilly-shally..." He looked at her with confusion. "Dilly-dally, shilly-shally!" This time, she said it with more conviction, but he still was confused, until Reno spoke up. Tifa hadn't realized he had even been there, and was slightly embarrassed to think he had overheard all of that. _

"_I think she wants you to move on, man." She jumped excitedly, forgetting embarrassment in case they found Marlene or Denzel. _

"_Did you find them?" _

"_No… Only a witness." _

"You look like you're thinking pretty hard about something." Angeal's voice broke the memory, concern for the woman showing in his voice and face. "Mind telling me what it is?" From what she had learned from Cloud, Angeal was the most caring of the three who fell. That might just give her an advantage with this.

Sometimes…. Telling the truth helped.

She made a sound of approval, and smiled sadly at Angeal. "Well, this isn't really the first time I've dealt with something like this…" He looked surprised, but said nothing, waiting silently for her to get her thoughts out. Years from dealing with a person like Sephiroth could make you very patient. Even after he died, he never was that clear with what he was saying. Cloud told her once that though it was exacerbated by the madness, he was always like that on some level.

"It was called Geostigma…" She remembered thoughtfully. Vincent had told her this, but that had been years ago. "It was the result of your body overreacting to alien matter infesting the body." He looked curious, but sympathy bled into the expression. "I didn't have it, but a… close friend did."

"What happened to him?" She sighed, remembering what she and Cloud had always made Tifa sad.

"I thought, at the time, he was going to give up and die. I felt so, so helpless." She looked at him, his face caring, and told him bluntly what Geostigma did to a person. "It was like he fought so hard to live, only to find that his body was turning against him.

"You don't degrade, you literally began to decay, pus forming on the surface of the skin, black bruises that bled a sickening thing, your dead skin. Your body is so weak… It's all you can do to stand up, and the tremors that wracked your aching body…. It was hellish to watch. And, after dealing with some of the worst pain imaginable, you died." She closed her eyes, thinking of all the children, Denzel especially.

"I don't want to see people give up like that. Denzel…. It never stopped him. He lived for almost a year with it, but he survived until we found the cure." Angeal, who was looking pensive, suddenly let his head shoot up, looking at Tifa with an incredulous gaze.

"There was a cure?" Tifa nodded in affirmation.

"Not just for the 'stigma. For degradation as well. Don't give up. Let's fight this, together." She smiled brightly, and grabbed his hand, having migrated closer to the ex-SOLDIER over the time of the conversation.

Angeal looked shocked, relieved, and scared all at once. "A cure…" His words were soft, muted with awe. Tifa was reminded of Denzel when they found the cure. He was so happy, the black stain, the crippling weakness, the sudden tremors…. They were just…. Gone. As in they never once existed. He could return to being a kid again.

She let go of the man's hand, and went over to her bag, and grabbed the black bottle of Lifestream. She spoke softly to herself, "It'll work the same way great gospel did… right?" She walked back over to Angeal, who had a curious gaze on the bottle, before taking the cork out and tilting it over, to pour over the man's head. When, suddenly, his hand stopped her, engulfing her tiny hand completely.

"Genesis needs this first…. I can't deny him that…" Tifa only shook her head sadly at Angeal's words.

"I don't know where he is. He disappeared, and while your body is not degrading as fast, your mind obviously is." She put her other hand over his, and smiled comfortingly. "Besides, I have another back at home. Whenever I see him next, I will cure him as well." She squeezed gently, and caught his gaze with her own.

He looked sad, guilty, before removing his grip. He had to look away, as she did her work, and poured the Lifestream's gift over him. A sudden gasp escaped him, and he collapsed entirely, boneless once more, and it was all Tifa could do to catch him.

He was out like a light, but Tifa could see how the color was returning to his hair, his skin. His muscles redefined themselves. She smiled like a mother over her child, and just let the man sleep.

* * *

><p>When Angeal woke up, Tifa noticed immediately because he groaned loudly. "I feel like I got trampled by a Zolem…" He opened his eyes, and even though they were unfocused, Tifa could see they had a saner light, losing that bit that made him appear unhinged.<p>

She made a sound of agreement, and handed him a glass of water. He looked surprised to see her, almost… weary of her…..

"Angeal? You remember me, right?" She wasn't sure, but she guessed that it _could_ happen.

"….Tifa, right?" She let out a sigh of relief, and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm Tifa." He nodded, before looking at his body with shocked eyes.

"I'm…. healed!" He laughed, almost hysterically, before looking at her with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry for what I tried to do. I…. lost myself. My honor, my dreams…. I just…."

"Lost sight of them?" She watched him with amused red eyes as he grinned sheepishly.

"I can't believe what I was going to do. It would have hurt the pup and Seph forever, and Genesis…." Angeal sighed at that. "Genesis probably would refuse to believe it, and would have driven himself further into madness. I can't believe I was going to let myself die. _Die!_"

"I know. I know how it feels." She hugged him tightly at that. "You felt as if you had nothing left."

He hugged her back, his form completely consuming her own. "Thank you, _thank you."_

She grinned a bit, before speaking slightly sarcastically. "I gave you another chance. Now, don't go screwing it up." He snorted, before realizing the gravity of his situation.

"I can't go back to Shinra… not after all of this." She nodded gravely.

"Head to Cosmo Canyon. They should be pretty willing to shelter you. If they ask…. Tell them Ebony WEAPON sent you." He choked a bit at those words, and Tifa left him to grab her bag.

"W-WEAPON?" She smiled deviously at him, before nodding.

"Like I said, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

She walked out of the building, and took off at a run before he could even truly comprehend that, knowing once he did… She would have a companion running along with her. Angeal _did not _need to know why she was a WEAPON.

He had enough on his plate already without having to hear about Nibelheim.

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><p>When she returned home, she was happy to see that her father had been worried about her, but upset that she was grounded for multiple reasons. Nothing she could do or say to defend her case. Something told her that if she just blurted out she needed to save a man a continent away before he committed suicide, wouldn't help her all that much.<p>

So she smiled, and took the punishment.

She would be free again before Nibelheim, at least.

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><p>Don't forget to drop a review if you read it and liked it!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Turn Back the Clock

A/N: I love you guys. :D I seriously thought I had lost peoples interest, but no. You people sure like surprising me and my email. I woke up this morning to see if I got something from KAM…. And BAM I had 3 reviews. That makes 15 in total. :)

This chapter seems horribly short to me, but the next one is the Nibelheim reactor, Vincent, and many other lovely things. Love you all!

Responding:  
><strong>Carrie88:<strong> Wait no longer!  
><strong>ShinobiTwin05<strong>: Ah, I hate viruses too. (They ate my new chappy of DotC!) And here it is!  
><strong>GreenOnBlack:<strong> Thanks for pointing that out, I will go back and fix it…. Eventually…. *Sweatdrops*  
><strong>pangpond:<strong> Genesis, I love him too, but sorry, but Sephy must come next. D:  
><strong>rach:<strong> Thanks!

ON WITH THE SHOW!

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><p>It was an absolutely horrible drive over, if Tifa remembered Cloud's story correctly. Cloud was sick, Zack was grieving, and Sephiroth was being ominous.<p>

Cloud would probably still be motion sick, the poor guy couldn't get rid of it until he had mako in his system.

Zack would be anxious, not grieving, since Angeal did not force Zack to end his mentor's life. Not that anxious is a better state for a puppy, since anxious puppies have this way of staying right under your feet.

And Sephiroth would still be, well, Sephiroth.

Tifa simply grinned to herself as she placed a couple of rags out to clean the inside of the van. Cloud didn't say anything about a mess, but when you counted the other trooper's expression…. He probably just didn't want to mention anything in front of AVALANCHE. Aeris in particular, he wanted to prevent her from learning about that even though he didn't remember what point of view he really was at the time.

She had overheard her father and the inn keeper about the rooms for the SOLDIER's coming in 2 days, so she knew that she had to be ready.

The first thing Tifa had wanted to do was get Vincent out of his coffin, but then she remembered how suspicious and weary Sephiroth had been in his final days. He would be more inclined to believe Vincent's story if he got the man out of the damn thing himself. She knew that she _needed_ Sephiroth to believe, however much she wanted to get her former lover out of his prison.

(Or would it be once?)

God forbid, if Nibelheim did burn again, Tifa had gone to the trouble of defeating Lost Number so she wouldn't have to do it when Hojo was here.

Deepground would be freed, since the once fearsome beings were simply children now. One year has passed since Shelke, bless the poor girl's heart, had been captured. She would be ten now, but would still appear a young girl. It was not until nine years more had passed that she had seen the sky again. This time, Tifa would make sure that the girl did not wait that long again.

Shelke, Rosso, Weiss, and Nero were all stuck inside Mako Reactor Zero, and the eldest member of Deepground would still be a teenager. Rosso might still have a bit of sanity in her yet. Nero wouldn't have that confining straitjacket on him.

Tifa would kill Azul if she saw him. From what Shelke had told her, he was a monster of a man even _before_ Deepground got him. And, he stole Shalua away from Shelke before they even got a chance to really be together again. Tifa was never going to see that _look _of being so lost and alone on Shelke's face ever again.

They would be here in hours, if Tifa remembered correctly, and Sephiroth had immediately begun acting strange, because of Jenova's sudden presence in his mind. It had deeply disturbed him, but Tifa knew that she couldn't kill Jenova, not yet. If she killed Jenova now, Sephiroth would still be with Shinra, but her presence drove him off the deep end before he could leave. She needed Jenova as evidence to Sephiroth that Shinra was setting him up, so they could reach the 'promised land'.

And, technically, Jenova could access her own mind now, since Jenova's body was a Cetra, she could order a WEAPON about. Tifa did not want to take the chance, and suddenly burn her town down herself. So, she waited.

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><p>Sure enough, not two hours later, a Shinra truck came down the path, and out jumped Zackary Fair, his hair all spikey and gravity defying, with a small trooper in his arms, already running off to a bathroom to give his friend a toilet to puke in.<p>

Tifa shook her ebony haired head. "Cloud is Cloud…." She muttered to herself.

"You know him?" A familiar deep voice came from behind her, practically giving her shivers down her back. She did not turn around, having to mentally prepare herself to see his face, alive, once more. She had to make sure that words would not come to blows.

"Yes, I do." She said stronger, this time, even the unenhanced could hear her. She turned around to face the General, and smiled as she looked up at him. She saw him freeze up, and his pupils dilated slightly as he took in her face. "So you're the great General, Sephiroth?" She raised an eyebrow as he nodded absently, still roving his eyes over her form. "I'm Tifa, Tifa Lockhart." She extended her hand out to the man. "I'll be your guide in the mountains."

He took the hand, and finally found the voice to speak again. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Lockhart." She giggled a bit at the courtesy.

"Please, General, sir. Call me Tifa." He smiled, only fractionally, but Tifa had been dealing with men like Cloud and Vincent since she was 20. Technically, she was 25 now, so that was five years of experience, and _that_ most _certainly_ was a smile.

"Tifa then, but you must call me Sephiroth, General makes me feel…. Old." His face scrunched up a bit, and he blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if to get rid of some cobwebs. "I must be off, Tifa."

He stalked off, his hand on his head, massaging his forehead, a troubled look on his face. Tifa looked worryingly at his figure, and put her gloves on. The Rokkuhāto still had its materia inside it. The sleep, a wall, the Shiva summons, as well as some status materia.

She was ready, she knew it, but she still felt so, so unprepared to deal with all of…. This. Whatever this was now. Sephiroth would be traveling up to the reactor tomorrow, and Tifa would have to sneak past Cloud and follow Genesis in. She had to do…. Something… to help with what he was about to learn about himself. It's not an easy thing to do.

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><p>She was the girl from the dreams. He knew it. Somehow, he had known all along this was truthfully going to be his last mission with Shinra, one way or another.<p>

Sephiroth had to… protect the girl, somehow. She was in the reactor when it happened, and so tomorrow, she need not go inside. He would protect her, as the girl was more beautiful in life than she was in any dream or vision.

Oh, he sincerely wished that Angeal was here right now, he would be able to tell Sephiroth what he was supposed to do.

_But, no. He left Shinra, and now he's just off and disappeared. _He thought bitterly. Angeal was always so… good at telling Sephiroth what he was feeling. And now, in the face of such a beautiful, strong young woman, he was speechless. He was entirely caught off his ball, and had fallen flat on his face for her.

The siren had been haunting his dreams for almost two years now, and now he finally sees her.

But now, there was something… dark in the air. His head had been hurting more and more pressingly, dark whispers that were just beyond his understanding. It worried him so. Could his death truly be upon him? It made him tense, and Zack was glancing worryingly at him every so often.

"Zack, get some rest; we're leaving in the morning." He ordered his SiC, and the grunts had already gone to bed, the blonde one was spent from vomiting all day, and the other, Percy, had to clean it up, so he was out like a light just as well.

The SOLDIER nodded, and went off to his room. Sephiroth sighed. He wasn't going to sleep, if he had to see her face again, sweaty and expressive and so, so angry, he would not have the strength to keep himself from going to her. Sephiroth was the General, he could deal with losing a night of sleep, he'd done it many times before. The only problem lied in how many nights he missed.

More than three, and his judgment would start to become impaired, his memory would start failing him, and eventually, he would slowly lose his mind.

It had happened before, during the war, but at the time he had Angeal and Genesis there, ready to talk him out of whatever he was going to do, or hold him down and put sedatives in him should all else fail.

He needed rest, and he told himself that he would sleep tomorrow, and everything would be just fine.

Zack did not need to know that even his General had his problems, the boy had just started to come to terms with the fact Angeal had left them, probably for good. He did not need to worry about the one person no one ever thought would fall.

And so the silver General stared out the window, his mind being battered by some unknown force, his life slowly falling to pieces, and he was still thinking about ebony hair… and dark red eyes... and a face so determined and so strong….

And he stared at the stars above, in a sky clearer than he had _ever_ seen in Midgar, hoping against everything he would get to see the light of many more days, preferably with a certain young woman by his side.

* * *

><p>If you liked it, drop a review, I enjoy hearing your thoughts.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Turn Back the Clock

A/N: Hot damn. We are buckling down here.

Now, for the much awaited Nibelheim scene, and I… h-hey! Carrie! Stop bouncing off the ceiling!

Anyways, LOL, I love you all, and since you guys like Tifa/Seph interaction, here comes the mission!

Responding to you all:  
><strong>disturb:<strong> Thanks for the review! But I think that there will be no 'on screen' stuff between those guys.  
><strong>Carrie88:<strong> Glad to know that made your expectations! I like that line as well! :D Now stop bouncing around. XD  
><strong>ShinobiTwin05:<strong> Yes, I figured it was a typo. XD, though, I giggled. YES YOU SHOULD TOTALLY GET AN ACCOUNT! I like it when I can give people my thoughts, and PM's are fun.  
><strong>Honey-taste: <strong>It's all right; this is turning out to be more complicated than I thought it would….**  
>Telya:<strong> Thank you!**  
>GNXmike:<strong> Gene, you were the first one to know about this! D: But thanks! I hope this meeting will meet your expectations… *hint hint…*  
><strong>FoxKitKat101: <strong>Well, here it is! :D  
><strong>Sephiroth the One Winged God:<strong> I love your pen name. :D Thanks!

(Now then, I must explain I swear that I'll update fast, because this chapter got too long, too fast. I broke it up, and sorry 'cause Vincent isn't gonna show up yet. I'm sorry, this turned into a 5,000 word BEAST in a matter of 1 extra scene)

*note: I got Tifa's moves from 012. I haven't played FF7 in like, two years. (I've been busy replaying IX, X, and XIII.)

THE SHOW MUST GO OOOOOOOOOOONNNNN! :D

* * *

><p>Tifa could feel herself quivering as she got up the next morning. This was it, really. This mission was the determining point, that place where you can no longer go back. It scared her, in truth. Was she really going to be able to do this? He was, after all, the General. Last time, she had wound up with a slash mark across her chest, so deeply wounded that even Cloud admitted he did not think she would survive the night.<p>

She stripped herself of her yoga pants, and fitted her skirt on. Her 'let's do this shit' outfit came on, and Tifa exchanged her father's t-shirt for her tight fitting white one. She had slept with her hair up in a bun, and she let it out, noting sourly the way it curled in a crescent shape as she did so. It was easily remedied as she got the ebony locks wet again.

All the while, she was wondering how the hell she was supposed to help Sephiroth. Last time, Cloud had been ordered to make sure that she did not enter, only to be attacked later by a man in red and his followers. It was only later that Tifa had learned that the man was Genesis, someone she was supposed to save, somehow.

Well, she knew how to save him, but Genesis had already gone pretty insane by this point. Tifa doubted that she could just say to take the cure, because at this time, Genesis was convinced that Sephiroth's cells were the answer.

What he didn't know, was that doing as he planned would only make the situation worse. Sephiroth refused, running out of the reactor, an almost scared look on his face, and had retreated to the mansion.

Five days later, he emerged Jenova's loyal puppet.

What had caused such a thing to happen? Tifa did not know, and she needed to find out what exactly made the proud man tip over the deep end.

She walked out of her bedroom, and went down the stairs. Her father had not cooked breakfast, they hadn't the time for such things, as he needed to 'escort her' to the Shinra Mansion, where she would guide the SOLDIER's to the reactor from. Instead, she grabbed an apple, bright red delicious were her favorite kind, and they only grew in the summer of Nibelheim.

Her father took a final sip from his coffee, before setting down the mug and acknowledging his daughter. Tifa smiled at her papa, and he smiled back at her, before speaking.

"Tifa, you know the path to the Shinra Mansion, right?" She nodded, confused, because she was almost certain this conversation didn't happen last time. "Well then, I guess you should head down there, little lady…" Tifa's eyes widened at the sudden realization. Her father was letting her go alone.

"Thank you, papa…" Her voice cracked a bit, and she drew her father into a hug.

"Just be careful, Tifa…." He looked over her with love in his eyes. "I wouldn't be the same without you."

She smiled at him again, and broke the embrace, before putting the Rokkuhāto on, the crystals gleaming at her, almost reflecting her anticipation. She walked out the door, wishing she felt the confidence that her gait showed.

* * *

><p>She waited alone, standing in front of the Mansion's gates when Zack, Sephiroth, Cloud, and a man from the village finally showed up. She smiled at Sephiroth, but could see the dark circles underneath his eyes. Had he not slept the night before?<p>

"T-Tifa?" Zack's voice was incredulous, as if he couldn't believe it. "You're the guide?"

She arched an ebony eyebrow, pinning him under a reddish brown gaze. "Yes, nobody knows the path better than I do. Got a problem with that?" He shook his head rapidly, as if understanding the threat behind her words. From the corner of her eye, Tifa noted Sephiroth grinning slightly at the boy's antics. She turned to him and winked.

"Are you ready, General?" He nodded, and she turned around, beginning on the treacherous path that would lead them to the reactor.

* * *

><p>She could feel it, that her lover was close to the person the planet had been raving about ever since two years ago.<p>

Ebony WEAPON….

Aeris felt her heart ache, she wanted to spend more time with him, but it was as if Tseng was sending him to face his death. She could only hope whoever this poor soul was; they would keep her SOLDIER safe.

She prayed, looking up to the hole in her church, and saw that the planet was almost… surrounding the WEAPON in her light. Next to it was darkness, almost an embodiment of evil… the son of Calamity stood next to Ebony and Zack! But, Zack seemed to trust the SOLDIER General that was Sephiroth- Aeris could only pray that his judgment was not impaired.

She spoke out loud, knowing Tseng could hear her. "He better make it back safe, Tseng."

And from the darkness that he stood in, Tseng nodded solemnly, hoping something along similar lines.

* * *

><p>"So, Sephiroth?" Tifa struck up conversation with the SOLDIER, and received a side-long look from the physically elder man. "I know you are here to investigate the reactor, but <em>why<em> were you sent- not that I am ungrateful for your presence." She blushed as he cocked an eyebrow. "It seems more like grunt work, than someone who is the General."

"Mmmmm. I'd have to agree with you, checking on the reactor would normally be reserved for grunts, but I believe they thought a stolen artifact had been placed here recently."

She made a hum of her approval of his answer, and turned around to see Zack and Cloud talking behind her and Sephiroth.

She noted the way Cloud's eyes trailed down to her chest, and also noted the way Sephiroth bristled minutely. She looked at him disapprovingly, before saying, "Eyes of the 30G's…." Cloud turned away from her gaze, likely blushing underneath his helmet, Sephiroth smirked, and Zack's eyes widened slightly.

"30 G's… No way…" Tifa rolled her eyes at that, before leading the party _away_ from the mako fountain. That was one conversation she could skip out on, always.

She had them all go up a slightly harder trail, involving more climbing than walking, and Tifa felt Cloud's confused gaze on her back. He had been up here before, and was likely wondering why she wasn't taking the other path. "Sorry this is taking so long you guys, but there are large pools of mako spread across the other path, lethal if you fall into them, you know?"

Zack looked faintly surprised, but Sephiroth only nodded his understanding. Cloud hummed; faintly confused because he hadn't seen any mako pools last time he was here, but he hadn't been back here since three years ago. She brought them to the side of a cliff, and began climbing up, not bothering to see if anyone was looking in all of the wrong places.

Tifa could hear Sephiroth growling at someone, and she laughed lightly. She had never caught things like this before she came back as a WEAPON. Maybe it was the mako now running through her bloodstream? She also had never realized _how_ much of an effect her presence had on Sephiroth. She now knew what Zack had seen in the man, it wasn't that he was silent, no- quite the opposite, actually- he was simply quieter than most people, harder for the un-enhanced to hear his subtle remarks.

She then realized the next part with sadness. He made it harder for Hojo to hear him complaining just beneath his breath. Her red eyes softened, and she wished she could give a comforting gaze down at Shinra's General.

After quite a climb up the cliff, they ended up just beside the reactor, the building standing ominously above them. "Well, this is it, gentlemen." She smiled at Zack and Sephiroth, gesturing to building behind her. "The Nibelheim reactor."

Sephiroth nodded again, before walking off to the building that housed Jenova. Tifa, Zack and Cloud followed, but before Tifa could walk up a single step, she was stopped by a raise of Sephiroth's hand. "I'm sorry, Tifa, but-" He was cut off by her understanding voice.

"You probably can't let me go inside, since I don't work for Shinra. That's alright." He looked faintly surprised, before offering a small smile.

"Yes, that is correct. You," He pointed at Cloud, "Protect the young lady." He nodded, and just like he had in the past, Cloud raised his gun at her to prevent her from entering the reactor. She could only watch as the two SOLDIERs walked into the place that housed Jenova.

* * *

><p>"You like her." Zackary's voice was incredulous, and since Sephiroth said nothing to deny such a claim-it was true, after all- Zack almost laughed as he spoke again. "You <em>like <em>Tifa! If I wasn't so happy that you finally found someone, I'd kill you for stealing Cloud's girl." The puppy spoke those last words ominously, and Sephiroth resisted the urge to snarl at his second in command.

"She is _not_ anyone's possession. Not Cloud's, nor my own. Though both of us might wish for such a thing to be, it's not going to happen." Zack sighed at the truth in his words, but Sephiroth wasn't listening to the boy any more. More so than anything else, he was listening to the _voice. _The whispers from yesterday were now understood, and they were giving him a headache, but the voice was sweet, calling him deeper into the reactor.

_My son…._

"_My mother is dead!" _He thought harshly. Who was this woman, and why did she call him her son?

Zack walked up the stairs, while he stayed below, looking around for the source of the malfunction.

* * *

><p>Tifa sat down, waiting for the inevitable attack from Genesis, and spoke to Cloud.<p>

"Hey…." The boy didn't answer, thinking Tifa didn't know who he was. She rolled her eyes.

"Cloud, take off the helmet. I know it's you." He dropped his gun out of surprise.

"T-Tifa?" He said incredulously. "How did you know?" She giggled a little.

"You acted like you knew that I was going the longer way up the trail. I know only one person that has been up these mountains before. Can you take off the helmet, now?" He nodded, removing the offensive object, and just staring at the girl.

She smiled at him. "My face is up here, you know." Her tone was teasing, but she loved the way he blushed. Some piece of Tifa would always pine after the blond.

"Sorry, Tifa…. It's just…." He sighed, and gestured to the girls on her chest. "You grew out nicely." She stood up, and drew the boy into a hug, just in time to cast a barrier spell as someone attacked them with a fire spell.

Tifa spun around, raising her fists to a defensive position, the stones shining in the light of day, as a man with greying hair and a red coat descended from the sky, black wing flapping as he landed. "Attacking defenseless girls? Well, whatever happened to honor?" Her voice was loud, but not mocking-only slightly angry at interrupting her and Cloud.

"_My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains…." _A cultured voice graced Tifa's ears, and at once she knew that this man was Genesis Rhapsodos. _"The arrow has left the bow of the goddess…." _She scoffed at that quote. If only Genesis knew who exactly he was speaking to, and who she was sent by. She looked at Cloud, who was sneaking in front of her. She cast a quick sleep spell, catching his body as he crumpled, and whispered apologies before looking back at the winged man.

"So I guess your soul has been corrupted by vengeance as well? Listen, Sephiroth's _not _the answer. Just because you think he should have your fate instead of you, doesn't make what you're about to do right. In fact, it's only going to make things worse." He arched an eyebrow, before grinning.

"Oh, my dear- you claim to know me, and my plans, but I have never had the pleasure of meeting you. And besides, Sephiroth always told me that he wanted to know the truth about himself. Now, run along, little one." He waved a hand at her, and suddenly she was surrounded by the same beasts that had attacked her and Cloud in the other life time.

She growled as Genesis sauntered into the reactor. "A girl just can't catch a break, can she?" She glared a hole into the degrading man's back when a sword was thrust at her.

She sighed in a annoyed way, and when the beast went for her a second time, she met the sword half-way, catching it in her gloved hand, and forced the monster over her shoulder, sword and all.

Where that beast was gone, having been thrown straight into the wall of the reactor, actually beginning to disappear from the sheer force of the throw having killed it, two more had started at her. A punch to the jaw knocked one down, and Tifa kicked the other off the side of the cliff. She jumped into the air, and surrounded herself in a blaze of fire, burning a few of her opponents, before choosing two as her targets, took one in each hand, before slamming them into the ground.

Now she was in the air, and the one she had tossed over the cliff-face earlier was back for more. Tifa groaned at the reappearance, but went after him in a flurry of kicks and punches that were surrounded with a glow that few had, meaning her attacks were twice as powerful. She ended with an uppercut, and when the beast hit the ground, it faded away into green.

She smirked at that, and as her last opponent came into view from above, she jumped into the air, met his gaze, before ax-kicking his head, causing it to painfully meet his chest, and then she kicked the beast straight into the reactor walls.

Landing gracefully on her feet, she examined her work with a sense of pride. Tifa then walked over to where she had placed the blond, picking Cloud up from his place on the ground. She walked over to put him against the walls carefully, stopping to brush a blond stand of hair out of the way.

He looked so, so peaceful, something Tifa hadn't seen since Aeris had died the last time around, and Tifa softened. Even if she wasn't in love with Cloud, she loved him as a brother. She kissed him on his forehead, and went inside the reactor.

* * *

><p>When Tifa walked into the main room, she was greeted by a strange scene playing out. Zack was on the floor, parts of him smoldering, obviously in pain as he cried against whatever Genesis had to say. "Genesis, no!"<p>

Meanwhile, said man was smirking at Sephiroth's scared form from where he had sat on the reactor stairs, and said the words that had haunted Sephiroth until the day he died. "Jenova was excavated from a 2000 year old rock layer." Tifa noticed the way Sephiroth's eyes widened….and snarled at the degrading man. "She's a monster." She actually heard a gasp come from Sephiroth at that, and in it, was pain, denial, horror... and fear.

Now this had gone on long enough. Tifa ran out from her hiding spot and screamed, "Genesis! Who the _hell _do you think you are?" Sephiroth looked down at her, looking like he was going to panic at this point, something behind his gaze that gave it a glow she had not seen on the way up the Nibel range. Zack just watched her, pain in his eyes, as well as a good deal of surprise.

"So, little bird, you defeated my servants…. Too bad…." Genesis looked faintly amused at her presence, but it only struck anger in the Silver Demon.

"You…._ Attacked_ Tifa, Genesis?" She could hear the barely restrained anger in the man's voice, and Genesis simply smirked as an answer. Sephiroth called Masamune into existence, fully prepared to make a Genesis-kabob, his mother egging him on to do the same thing to everyone in the town…. Finding himself agreeing to the idea out of anger… but before he could even take two steps, a wave of calm washed over him.

He noted sleepily that Genesis also crumpled in front of him, but no one was there to catch him. Instead, Sephiroth found himself looking blearily into wine red eyes, which were watching him with concern. He smiled, slowly, sleepily- knowing that when he was in her arms, he would be safe from the nightmares of death's cold embrace.

When cyan eyes closed, Tifa sighed in relief. She gathered long limbs into her arms, picking the older man up off the floor of the reactor, and while it was awkward, he wasn't that heavy now. His head lolled forward, his hair somehow managing to get everywhere.

"Hey, Zack." Tifa cast a quick cure on the young man, and the puppy quickly stood up, looking incredulously at Tifa. She shrugged. "I'm good with materia." Zack shook his head.

"No…. you….. Tifa, you have mako eyes." She raised a brow at that, but nodded anyways.

"Yes. Now then, I'll grab Genesis, and you get Cloud, who is also down for the count out front, Genesis got him with a sleep spell, and I put him over on the wall of the reactor."

Zack- for a puppy- had a very good impression of a fish, and before any more questions, grabbing the degrading man, who was as limp as a noodle, and tossed him over her shoulder while Sephiroth had the luxury of being carried bridal style down the regular mountain trail.

She took them to the one place she could, loathe as she was to admit it.

The Shinra Mansion.

* * *

><p>If you have questions, comments, or concerns, drop a review. Actually, just drop a review anyways. I always like feedback.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Turn Back the Clock

A/N: To everyone who has stuck with me thus far, thank you. New readers, welcome, and enjoy.

*Note: I want EVERYONE to know I never forget about a story. Ever. I may simply be having trouble with figuring out how to continue it, or I may not have the time. Are we all clear? Good.

To anonies:  
><strong>ShinobiTwin05<strong>: NEVER!  
><strong>unknown<strong>: Well, maybe not _Aeris' _POV, but we'll see.

* * *

><p>When Tifa had arrived at the Mansion, she had to do something with the degrading man while she dealt with Sephiroth. It was a hard thing, knowing she had to cure him, but also knowing he was partially insane, and probably wouldn't agree to such a thing.<p>

She brought both sleeping men into the basement, and opened the doors to the lab, skipping past the library and Vincent's prison. She looked around the horrible place, shuddering at memories, before setting Genesis down to reach into her bag, which she had left in this room last time she was here. Upon Genesis laying down on the floor, his wing disappeared into non-existence. She grabbed a blanket, and wrapped the General in it before setting him down as well. He looked so peaceful, the crease on his forehead was gone, with sleep, and everything wasn't so bad anymore.

She had to cast another spell on him, as he stirred once, as he touched the floor, but she was pleased to note that Sephiroth only shifted back into unconsciousness.

Not bothering to pick Genesis up yet, Tifa searched around the cabinets in the lab for something to drug Genesis with. It was a powerful thing she found, but it was also the only sedative in the building. She looked at the blissfully unaware man, before putting the liquid into a needle, and sticking the thing into his neck.

Genesis made a moan of pleasure, his eyes fluttering as his mind entered a dreamland he would not be able to escape for at least a full week after the powerful drug left his system. Almost two weeks, technically, because even though Genesis would be aware of his surroundings somewhat, he would be loopy, his limbs like noodles, sleepy and lethargic from time to time, and it would be like she was taking care of a two year old.

Tifa knew of this drug because of Vincent. He had opened up to her the story of the one thing that still could turn him out like a light, telling her because if Deepground knew about it, she might have to take care of someone. The main thing about it was that it was a mako-based hallucinogenic- it was a slow release kind of thing, saturating the entire body within moments, but the body is unable to rid itself of the drug, since it shares traits with mako poisoning.

Hojo had once decided to make a drug powerful enough to send even his greatest creation into a drug-induced coma for days if the boy ever decided to misbehave- because even as a young child, Sephiroth hated the loss of control over himself. Naturally, when the scientist thought the boy obedient enough, he stopped using it, and left it here, in the mansion-forgotten by all.

In the normal human, it took almost three weeks to recover fully.

In a SOLDIER, two weeks.

In Sephiroth, when he was ten, 12 days.

While she felt bad about what she was doing to him, she knew it was the only way. Genesis degraded faster than Angeal had, and it had shown in his looks. She already could see that his mind was destroying itself already. He had just finished calling Sephiroth a monster, and then acted like they had held an entirely different conversation.

The only question remained. Where to hide the body?

She ended up putting him away inside of a mako container, the very same ones Cloud and Zack had been locked in during their four-year long imprisonment. She put a breathing machine on him, having worked in the hospital whilst Cloud had Mako poisoning, and put an IV in his arm. From there, she filled the mako tube with the liquid that would keep his body afloat, without disturbing any of the machines. Knowing the ex-SOLDIER would be alright Tifa poured her cure into the waters. His body already was gaining some color back, and she smiled for it.

She locked the doors to the lab, knowing Zack he would try to get in, but she couldn't let that happen. Not while Genesis was healing, and so drugged by the things Hojo had in his store that the man couldn't tell up from nose.

Sephiroth, however, was another matter. Jenova had already staked a claim on him, explaining the sudden glow in the reactor. It had disappeared when Tifa put the man to rest. Shifting the tall man in her strong arms, Tifa knew exactly where she had to go.

She walked down the hall, and back into the library. Tifa lay the man down, still wrapped in her quilt, before shaking his arm lightly. "Sephiroth? General, are you alright?"

When the man did not respond, Tifa sighed. She instead gathered him in her arms and just whispered soft, comforting things, rocking him back and forth, and petting long silver hair until the man would wake up.

* * *

><p>Zack was confused. Cloud had told him that Tifa was a martial artist, so the girl could fight, but the blond boy in his arms had never mentioned anything about her having a large amount of mako in her-causing her to have a red glow in her eyes to match Seph's. He shifted said blond-who was totally <em>out<em>- and questioned it out loud.

"You know, Cloud? I think you were right to love such a girl. However, you have some _tough _competition out there! Sephiroth has the hots for her as well!" He grinned at the unresponsive figure. "Well, if Tifa turns you down, I'll always be here for you, chocobo!" Zack ruffled blond hair, disappointed when Cloud didn't hit him for it. "Aeris would _love_ you-seriously!"

"I'd love it if you were with us as well, but hey! You don't go telling Aeris that, alright!"

Cloud was so out of it, he was actually drooling a bit, but Zack didn't mind. He simply wiped the spit away with his hand, rubbing said hand against his shirt to get rid of it. "At least you don't snore!" He said cheerfully. "Angeal liked to, and Seph sometimes does to. Drooling is _nothing_ in comparison."

Silence filled the space, and Zack_ hated_ silence. "You know, I wonder why Tifa knocked out both Genesis and Seph. Genesis, I can understand-he's crazy. But Seph? Nah, he's the General. However, he looked like he was freaking out a bit over Jenova. Seph says that she's his ma, but Genesis told him she was a fossil. Which is the truth?" He thought it over.

"If Genesis _is_ true, then Jenova _can't _be Seph's ma. So who is Seph's mom?" He waved his hand around to exaggerate his point. "But if Seph's version is true, why did Genesis feel like lying to his face, and why was Seph freaking out like that?"

Zack sighed. "I don't know what to believe any more, buddy."

All Cloud did was loll his head around. That was when monsters started to appear- the Nibelheim variety. At first, it was only wolves, and they were no big deal, but then….

"Holy Shit!" A dragon knocked Zack and his unconscious passenger straight off the cliff-face, and into a cave far below them. Zackary was out as soon as he hit the rock….. And he didn't see what happened to Cloud as he sunk into beautiful, but rather deadly green light.

* * *

><p>Angeal was in Cosmo Canyon, studying the planet's myths and legends. "Ebony WEAPON…" His voice was saddened and confused. Tifa was a beautiful young lady, and she obviously knew something he did not.<p>

The ex-SOLDIER had done a whole lot of research on 'Geostigma', but nothing had turned up. Even Bugenhagen had been baffled by the name of the illness; even though it was painfully obvious Miss Lockhart had been telling the truth.

WEAPON's, on the other hand, were known subjects. They were, in essence, the Planet's protectors. At one point, Bugenhagen had believed them to be monsters, but then he tuned himself to the planet's call. He heard her cries be consoled, by something- around one year ago- strangely, also around the same time of Miss Lockhart saving Angeal.

It was by no chance, a coincidence. Tifa had told Angeal that he _needed _to live, and apparently had poured some form of pure Lifestream over him, proving she was blessed by the goddess. A WEAPON indeed.

Now, he knew the young girl was something special; he only wanted to help her. But, he had no idea where she lived. He only had a name. However, he did note one other thing about the young girl. An accent, one that sounded mildly similar to Genesis and his own. An accent that came from a small town…. And Angeal had watched Genesis kill every man, woman, and child in Banora, and she wasn't in Modeoheim….

His thoughts trailed to a stop. The softness of her tone, combined with the musicality…. He had heard it one time, when Genesis had dragged him to a showing of LOVELESS. The actress had the same musical quality to her voice, and she was from the backwater town known as Nibelheim.

He just about ran out the door, when he was stopped in his tracks by Bugenhagen. "There is a disturbance in the Planet…. It's in Nibelheim. There is trouble, but the Planet is also anticipating the arrival of something good."

To Nibelheim it was.

Angeal nodded his understanding, and his one white wing made a sudden appearance. He flew straight out of the Canyon, hoping he would make it in time to help miss Lockhart.

* * *

><p>Cloud's day just wasn't going right. He had been discovered by Tifa, conked out by materia, and then knocked into a mako pool. To find himself in a field of white. Watching an older version of himself staring back at him.<p>

Yep. Things had gone the wrong way.

Sad blue eyes looked his form over, before walking over to meet him. He wasn't able to move, after all. He dully noted that the elder version of him was wearing a variation of the SOLDIER outfit. He hadn't made it in SOLDIER, so maybe he had a chance later?

His elder self pulled an unwilling hand out, and placed a large sword in it. "It's called Tsuragi. Take care of it, kid." His elder self also exchanged the earring, from a simple stud to a wolf insignia. The blonde doppelganger bent down to his level, and told him only one more thing.

"Make sure you love Tifa, but only as a sister. Her heart belongs to someone other than you. You already know the man you love, but you have yet to meet the woman you love. Take care of them all. Tifa, Zack, Aeris. Love them all." With that, his elder form faded inside of him, and Cloud was suddenly filled with indescribable agony filled his form. The world of white faded away, to be replaced by green. He saw the light above him, different than the light around him, and took hold of the sword, as he swam up to the surface before he could drown.

When he hit the surface, he gasped for air. He had grown muscles, had a sleeker, more nimble body- like his older self- and also was wearing the same outfit, although his was soaked in mako. He gasped again when he saw Zack. The man had landed hard against the rock, and bounced into a shallow pool where he had sunk, only a gloved hand showing through the think liquid.

Not even bothering to think, Cloud pulled hard on the hand, only to be horrified that the body following was limp, unresponsive. Zack's violet eyes swirling with green mako, also glazed over-unseeing of the world around him. How long had they been in the pool of pure lifestream? They had left the Village in early morning; the trip alone took them to noon…. And it was morning again. Zack and he had been in those pools for almost twelve hours. He should be comatose, or dead! But he wasn't.

And the weird show up of an elder version of himself, the same man who he looked like now…. It was all related, somehow, but all he could do was hold Zack's form close. He felt like crying. What was he supposed to do now?

"What are we going to do now, Zack?" All Zack did was blink sluggishly, and Cloud felt himself choke up, and actually let a few tears slip out. Zack was his only friend, his mentor, and perhaps even more. He filled the silence of Cloud's life, and now the puppy was unnaturally quiet. He sunk his face into black spikes, still wet with mako, and cried.

The problem now was that Zack wasn't there to help stop the tears.

* * *

><p>AN: DON'T KILL ME! This happened on its own accord. I wanted Cloud to have to take Zack's place with the mako poisoning. And honestly, since Tifa went a different way up to the reactor, they didn't run into the dragon. Zack did. With an unconscious party member, he never stood a chance. :I

Clack love to Clack fans.

If you liked this chapter, drop a review. Note: I am a review WHORE. If we could get it up to forty… it'd be nice. *bats eyelashes innocently*


	8. Chapter 8

Turn Back the Clock

A/N: *avoids getting shot* It's the Writer! I'm innocent! I swear!

Ven's been busy. For one, Vendetta can't type for a while CUZ SHE BROKE AN ARM! And two, I've been sick. And busy with back to school s*** on top of all that. No, I could not have posted this earlier. She has had me to be her slave, but she isn't happy herself. Ever heard of Bronchitis? She got it, gave it to the rest of us. And our computer broke.

*cries*

September is a cursed month, in Vendetta's own words. Every single year, her life has taken a dip. She thinks it's because of her birthday-which, she hates, because it has gone wrong every year- In epic proportions. This year? She fell down a flight of stairs and broke an arm. Joy. You don't even _want _to hear what happened last time. It was messy.

Thanks to all our reviewers:

ShinobiTwin05  
>Fushia Flame<br>Heero Yuy. pilot of Wing Angel  
>loveless an the living fantasy<br>Carrie88  
>pangpond<br>GNXmike  
>ephemeral violet<br>AnnaDruvez  
>Helena<br>honey-taste  
>Starr<br>Lone Badger

It makes our day, mostly her day when she reads them!

As an interesting note, this was the most attention we received for any of our stories, or any other chapter in this one. We have received more reviews for one chapter than 4 of my other stories _combined. _Thanks, for the faves and alerts, and _Cave of Silent Echoes _for adding it to the Community!

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><p>When Sephiroth awoke next, he was still hearing a feminine voice, however, this one held him in her arms, large cleavage pressed up against his back, and had a hand running through his long silver hair. And she wasn't screaming at him- she was singing softly, a sad, yet somehow comforting tune that needed no words to pierce straight through his ice-covered heart.<p>

Oh, there were indeed words, but they had simply been spoken so softly, even his mako enhanced ears could not discern them.

He almost wanted to fall back asleep- as he would have no difficulty, everything was hazy in his mind, and he was content to just sleep here-

A shrill screech pierced his mind, causing him to jump straight out of one woman's arms, and onto the cold floor. He let out a pained gasp as his head hit a metal rod, causing sound to ring between his ears. He held his head in his hands, not letting any other signs of pain show, but most certainly he was in a great deal of it.

The first voice spoke, but the sound was garbled, so he struggled to get away, his limbs refusing to work in his state of panic, and he was only more frightened by that revelation. It wasn't until he was entirely restrained that he realized that he was truly overreacting. Hojo would have his head if he knew that his prized General had _panicked._

He shut down all of his senses in an attempt to calm himself, and when he did, he opened his eyes, to see the worried face of Tifa Lockhart. She seemed troubled, but Sephiroth was not about to tell her he had panicked because he was hearing _a voice_ for Planet's sake.

As he stood up, memory hit him. Genesis….. Sephiroth wondered what had happened to the man, but his thoughts of his degrading friend were suddenly cut off, and he was reminded forcefully of the betrayal… and the possible revelation of a truth he had sought since he was old enough to want to know what had happened to his mother.

_My Son…_

"_Mother…" _The silver-haired man almost sighed with reverence, but withheld himself, if for Tifa's sake.

_The books Gast left for you read them, my Son…. And you will see the truth of this race….._

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><p>Tifa watched as Sephiroth got up off the floor jerkily, cyan eyes glazed over- partially from sleep, partially from Jenova. A familiar violet glow was in his hooded eyes, and it scared her more than she was willing to admit.<p>

She watched as he sluggishly made his way to the library, even though he had never been in this mansion before, he knew where it was. She gulped nervously. So Jenova was in his head already.

That complicated things.

She didn't want to leave him alone, but she needed to calm herself down. She walked up to the main floor, and went outside. The sun was high above her head, but she was more concerned with what was coming out of the mountains.

"Cloud!"

This complicated things even more.

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><p>"It's mako poisoning. Nothing we can do for him." She sighed with a resounding sort of regret. "So, what happened?"<p>

"I don't know Tifa, all of a sudden, I woke up in a pool of mako." Cloud shrugged his black-clad shoulders. "Personally, I am more concerned on why you aren't surprised I look like I am twenty-five." He narrowed mako-glowing blue eyes at her in suspicion.

The ebony haired woman flinched. "….. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Cloud….."

Cloud pinched the top of his nose, and then ran a hand across Zack's limp body thoughtfully. "…Try me."

She spoke briskly. "I'm from the future." She watched as Cloud's jaw dropped, before he actually took into account the things that had been happening.

"In a twisted sort of way, that makes sense." He sounded marginally surprised. Tifa grinned meekly.

"So, what are we going to do with the body?" Cloud smirked as a blond eyebrow rose, and Tifa laughed. "What'd I do?" He asked, confused.

"I-It's just… just…." She burst out laughing again as his face scrunched up.

"It's just what, Tifa," Cloud folded his arms, looking much more in-character for his elder self.

Her smiled died, and she explained. "You hardly ever smile in the future." She looked sad at that, before forcefully cheering herself up. "Well, I know where we can put him!" She pushed at Cloud playfully, before grabbing one of Zack's limp arms. His head lolled forward. "Follow me!"

Cloud picked up Zack's other arm, and slung it around his shoulder. Zack's legs dragged between them.

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><p>"Was General Sephiroth muttering to himself…?" They had through the library.<p>

"Yes. That's a major problem in the future. Him going insane- that is." Tifa sighed as she noted how quickly Sephiroth was going through those books.

Cloud's eyes widened. "Sephiroth goes insane?"

"Jumped right off the deep end," Tifa muttered. "We are here."

Cloud's eyebrow rose. "….. Is that…?"

Tifa followed his gaze to the drugged Genesis. "Yes."

"….Does he…?"

"No."

"….Why…?"

"Because!" Tifa threw her arms into the air out of annoyance. The one thing she did not miss about Cloud's future self was his inability to understand things beyond science. Older-Cloud was paranoid enough to believe anything. This Cloud was still marginally naïve.

Especially when it came to these things that were beyond the realm of humanity and concerned the Goddess.

Tifa took Zack from Cloud's hold, "Can you open the tank for me?"

"Right-o," Cloud almost broke the door on accident. "Whoa…. Tifa… What did I do?"

She sighed. Tifa loved Cloud like a brother, but right now, he was lacking the maturity that had made her fall in love with him all over again. "You have SOLDIER strength. And you think you have the strength of a fifteen year old. It's no wonder that you are having problems." Tifa placed Zack's noodle-like arms into the pads there to hold him. She pushed a strand of messy black hair out of his face, though she knew it to be a useless motion, and kissed his forehead.

Zack's face moved a little in response, and Tifa smiled. She closed his eyes with her fingers, and watched as his body fell into sleep.

She had always regretted not knowing Zack, especially when Cloud talked about the misadventures he had while a part of Shinra. In this life, she would know him.

She closed the tank, put on the breathing tube and IV, and filled the containment unit up. He looked peaceful, sleeping like that, not like his mind was not connected to his body. She dragged Cloud, who was staring at Zack dolefully, out of the lab, and through the library, until they were back in the hall of the Shinra Mansion.

"What is it Teef?" He raised a blond eyebrow.

"We have to find a plan of attack. We need to destroy Jenova, _without_ hurting Sephiroth. We have to distract him long enough that one of us might be able to destroy Jenova." Cloud peeked inside the room, at his idol with suspicion.

"Alright. What are we going to do?"

"Uh…." Tifa wished she knew.

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><p>Something had gone wrong. She knew from the moment she felt Zack that something had gone wrong.<p>

Aerith was very worried about her boyfriend at that point in time. He was immersed in the lifestream for a whole day, before being removed. She had freaked when he had showed up there, but had calmed down when he did not join the voice of the stream. Maybe he was in a vat of mako? Or maybe he fell in the reactor?

She didn't know, and she hoped she would find out soon.

On a better note, Golden WEAPON appeared in Nibelheim, and so it would be saved.

Aerith stood from where she had been praying to go home to her mother. Elmyra would be worried if she was out too late.

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><p>AN: Short chapter is short. But, then again, I got frustrated because Ven talks faster than I type. We called it quits after an hour.

Then again, on a note.

WE ARE NOT DEAD.

We are going to just flood the site one day, and you guys will be excited.

I am going to have a poll on my profile page for what story I should get working on first. Those of you who read my other stories will also be alerted on my profile, and I am going to tell those on my other fandoms as well. ^^

I will hopefully see you all soon, The Writer, KAM.


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